fish - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T11:06:33Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/fishAlong the Coast: Sea turtle nesting season off to robust starthttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-sea-turtle-nesting-season-off-to-robust-start2020-07-01T16:00:19.000Z2020-07-01T16:00:19.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960958280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960958280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960958280?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>Turtle nest monitor Jim Jolley passes four marked nests on the beach in Ocean Ridge north of Beachway Drive. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Larry Keller</strong> <br /> <br />South Florida beach closures because of the coronavirus pandemic may have annoyed some people, but if sea turtles could talk, they likely wouldn’t complain.<br /> The turtles’ nesting season along South County beaches is off to a strong start, and false crawls — incidents where turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs but turn back without doing so — are down.<br /> “So far this has been a very busy and successful season,” said David Anderson, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center’s sea turtle conservation coordinator. He oversees monitoring of sea turtle activity over 5 miles of Boca Raton beach.<br /> False crawls can occur when turtles are disturbed by things like bonfires, flashlights, cellphone lights and beach furniture. With beaches closed for several weeks, those impediments all but vanished.<br />This season began with a success ratio of up to six nests to every four false crawls. That is a significant improvement from previous years, where the ratio was the reverse. Anderson said the ratio has dropped lately, with false crawls now exceeding the number of nests since people have been back on the beach.<br /> It has been a similar story in Delray Beach. Last year, there were 290 nests and 538 false crawls, said Joseph Scarola, senior scientist at Ecological Associates Inc., which monitors nests on the 3-mile beach for the city. That’s a ratio of 65% to 35%, false crawls to nests. As of mid-June, Delray Beach recorded 170 nests and 180 false crawls — a ratio similar to that of Boca Raton at the time.</p>
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<p><strong>Impact of closings uncertain</strong><br />Nobody can say for sure if closed beaches resulted in the reduction in false crawls or the robust number of nests so far.<br /> Jackie Kingston, president and founder of Sea Turtle Adventures, is skeptical. Her organization monitors a 3-mile expanse of beaches in Gulf Stream, Briny Breezes and part of Ocean Ridge and has noticed fewer false crawls this year. <br /> But, Kingston said, turtles “nest where they want to nest.”<br /> In Highland Beach, there have been about 50% more nests than last year at this time, and fewer false crawls, said Barbara James, the marine turtle permit holder there. Since the beach has no public access, she said she couldn’t attribute this to fewer people being on the beach.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960958854,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960958854,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960958854?profile=original" /></a><em>Most stretches of South County beaches are experiencing higher than normal nesting success, as evidenced by these markers. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p>Sea turtle nesting season is March 1 to Oct. 31, although small numbers of nests are dug before and beyond those dates. The first nest discovered this year in Boca Raton was on Feb. 23. It was a leatherback.<br /> That was less than a week before a nourishment project began with beach bulldozers widening the northern 1.5 miles of Boca Raton’s beach from 50 to 250 feet. One early nest was moved to an unaffected area. The first loggerhead in Boca Raton was spotted on April 21, just after the beach nourishment project was finished.<br /> “It went really fast, was really successful,” Anderson said.<br /> Green turtles could be most affected by the wider beach. “Greens are notorious for nesting in the dunes,” Anderson said. Now “it’s a long crawl, but it doesn’t seem to matter to turtles.” <br /> Green turtles have alternating high and low seasons. Last year, a record 393 nests were spotted, but there were only 19 the year before that. This season, 35 had already turned up by June 29. They usually continue to come ashore through September.</p>
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<p><strong>All local species are ‘listed’</strong><br /> Five sea turtle species nest on Florida beaches. All are listed as either endangered or threatened.<br /> Only loggerheads, greens and leatherbacks typically deposit eggs in South County, and very few of the latter, which are the largest of the species, sometimes weighing 1,500 pounds or more. <br /> By late June only 13 nests of leatherbacks had been discovered this year on Boca Raton’s beach. They usually finish nesting before June. Still, it’s no cause for concern. Only 18 leatherback nests were found in each of the past two years.<br /> Boca Raton’s modest numbers were more than offset elsewhere. Delray Beach recorded 21 leatherback nests, surpassing last year’s record of 15, Scarola said.<br /> And 20 leatherback nests were found on the beaches that have been surveyed by Kingston’s group for 21 years. That too was a record, topping the previous high of 16 in 2009, she said.<br /> Leatherback nests are more common to the north. There were 397 nests for all of Palm Beach County, and 380 in Martin County in 2019, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. That was 70% of all leatherback nests statewide.<br /> There have been more nests overall so far this year on the beaches Kingston monitors. They include about 400 loggerhead nests, well above the total for the same time last year, she said. <br /> “I think it will be a pretty good year,” Kingston said. <br /> It’s been a banner year for loggerhead nests in Boca Raton too. There were 495 by June 29, putting that beach on track for a strong season, Anderson said.</p></div>On the Water: Gumbo Limbo beachcombing walks offer entertainment, educationhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/on-the-water-gumbo-limbo-beachcombing-walks-offer-entertainment-e2019-02-27T00:27:18.000Z2019-02-27T00:27:18.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960839457,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960839457,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960839457?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>Beachcombers enjoy the breeze, sand and surf during a guided outing at Red Reef Park. <strong>Photos by Willie Howard/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Willie Howard</strong></p>
<p>Scavenging the wrack zone for shells and sea beans can fill collectors’ baskets and pique the curiosity of anyone interested in the origins of things deposited on the sand.</p>
<p>To learn a bit more about the many things that wash ashore, I attended one of the free Beach Treasures outings offered by Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.</p>
<p>Our beach guide and instructor, Debbie Wilson, began our session with a classroom talk at Gumbo Limbo to give us some idea of what to look for before we hit the beach.</p>
<p>Wilson showed us several types of seashells and the marine animals that live in them, as well as corals, sponges, sea stars, volcanic rock, sandstone, sea glass and “sea beans” or seed pods from plants, many from far-away places.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960839085,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960839085,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="330" alt="7960839085?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960839882,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960839882,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="330" alt="7960839882?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960839692,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960839692,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="330" alt="7960839692?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960840290,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960840290,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="330" alt="7960840290?profile=original" /></a></p>
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<p><em>TOP LEFT: The purple sea snail shell is a real find for beachcombers. TOP RIGHT: The lightning whelk gets its name from bolt-like streaks on its shell. BOTTOM LEFT: Walk leader Debbie Wilson displays a bowl containing golf ball beans, tropical almonds and mangrove seedlings. BOTTOM RIGHT: The sea heart, a seed pod from trees growing in South America and Africa, is <em>carried to Florida beaches by current and wind. <strong>Photos by Willie Howard/The Coastal Star</strong></em></em></p>
<p>After Wilson’s classroom talk, we drove to Red Reef Park — where we did not have to pay for parking — and headed onto the beach, where we found strong wind, piles of decaying Sargasso weed and purple Portuguese men-of-war, which we avoided after being warned about their venomous tentacles.</p>
<p>Our eager group found several golf ball beans — round, brown seed pods — as well as lighter colored tropical almonds. (Check them out on seabean.com.)</p>
<p>A flip-flop on the sand was covered in gooseneck barnacles, a sign that it had been drifting for a while. Some members of our group were rewarded with treasures, such as the shells of the purple sea snail and the lightning whelk.</p>
<p>“It’s really good for the kids to be out here,” said Jennifer Longinos of Delray Beach, whose son found a purple sea snail. <br /> Allison McCarrick, a winter resident of Lake Worth, used a stick to sift through decaying mats of Sargasso weed to find a sea heart — a handsome, dark-brown seed pod shaped like a heart.</p>
<p>Impossible to ignore was the rubbish on the beach, including plastic bags, baby shoes, flip-flops, drink bottles, shards of plastic and a tiny glass ampule containing something, possibly perfume.</p>
<p>We left the beach with bags of trash to throw away and with a few natural treasures to take home.</p>
<p>Gumbo Limbo Nature Center offers free Beach Treasures talks and walks twice a month. This month’s schedule is 3 p.m. March 6 and 20. Find more and sign up online at gumbolimbo.org.</p>
<p><strong>FWC approves shore-based shark fishing rules</strong></p>
<p>Anglers fishing for sharks from Florida beaches will be required to take a class and obtain a free shore-based shark fishing permit under rules approved Feb. 20 by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.</p>
<p>The new FWC rules, effective July 1, follow months of public workshops held to address growing concerns that shark fishing from the beach endangers swimmers and harms sharks that are sometimes dragged onto beaches for photos before being released.<br /> Some of the new rules apply to anglers targeting sharks from boats as well as from beaches.</p>
<p>In addition to mandatory education to obtain a shore-based shark fishing permit, the new rules will:</p>
<p>• Prohibit chumming from beaches.</p>
<p>• Require the use of non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks when targeting sharks — from land or from a boat.</p>
<p>• Require anglers to cut the leader, line or hook to prevent the delayed release of sharks that are protected from harvest. Twenty-six species of sharks, such as hammerhead, lemon and Caribbean reef sharks, cannot be possessed or harvested in Florida.</p>
<p>• Require anglers to keep protected sharks in the water while releasing them from land or from a boat.</p>
<p>• Require anglers targeting sharks, from land or from a boat, to carry a device that can quickly cut a hook or leader to release a shark.</p>
<p>The shore-based shark fishing permit requirement will apply to anglers younger than 16, unless they are fishing with an adult who holds a permit. Florida anglers older than 65 (who are exempt from the fishing license requirement) also will be required to take a class and obtain the free shore-based shark fishing permit if they plan to fish for sharks from land.</p>
<p>Also on Feb. 20, FWC commissioners banned the harvest of live fish and invertebrates for aquariums from the Blue Heron Bridge dive site near Phil Foster Park, effective April 1.</p>
<p>Jessica McCawley, director of the FWC’s Division of Marine Fisheries Management, said the Blue Heron Bridge dive site north of Peanut Island has become an internationally recognized diving destination.</p>
<p>The ban on live harvest of marine life does not affect hook-and-line fishing, cast netting or the legal harvest of spiny lobster in the Blue Heron Bridge area. Boaters carrying live fish legally taken from other areas will be allowed to transport them through the sanctuary.</p>
<p><strong>Palm Beach boat show set for March 28-31</strong></p>
<p>The 34th annual Palm Beach International Boat show — featuring $1.2 billion worth of boats and accessories on display as well as fishing seminars for adults and children — is set for March 28-31 along Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach.</p>
<p>Hook the Future will present free fishing clinics for kids on March 30 and 31.</p>
<p>Experts with the IGFA School of Sportfishing will offer adult fishing seminars, free with admission, throughout the show.</p>
<p>Admission: $28 for adults and $18 for ages 6-15. There’s no admission charge for children younger than 6.</p>
<p>For information on tickets, parking and transportation maps, visit PBBoatshow.com.</p>
<p><strong>Fishing tournament to benefit Navy SEALs</strong></p>
<p>The Naked Warrior Project and 26 North Yachts will host a fishing tournament March 9 to raise money to memorialize fallen Navy SEALs and to help injured SEALs and their families.</p>
<p>The inaugural Naked Warrior Project Fishing Tournament for kingfish, dolphin, wahoo, tuna and cobia will be based at Sands Harbor Resort and Marina, 125 N. Riverside Drive, Pompano Beach. The captains meeting and kickoff party is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 7 at Sands Harbor Resort and Marina.</p>
<p>The entry fee is $500 per boat. Fishing teams can register and pay online at nakedwarriorproject.org or at 26 North Yachts, 2525 Marina Bay Drive in Fort Lauderdale.</p>
<p>The nonprofit Naked Warrior Project was founded by John Owens, whose brother, Ryan, a Navy SEAL, was killed in action in 2017.</p>
<p>Report encounters with diseased lionfish, FWC asks <br /> Invasive lionfish with ulcers have been found in Florida waters as far south as Fort Pierce, and state researchers are asking anyone who encounters a diseased lionfish to report it.</p>
<p>Lionfish have been found with ulcers that expose muscle tissue. Anyone who finds such a lionfish is being asked to note the number of fish affected and the location. Take photographs if possible.</p>
<p>Reports can be submitted through the FWC Reporter smartphone app or by calling the Fish Kill Hotline at 800-636-0511.</p>
<p><strong>Coming events</strong><br /></p>
<p><strong>March 2:</strong> Basic boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the headquarters building at Spanish River Park, 3939 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. Fee $35 ($5 for ages 12-19). Register at the door. Bring lunch. Call 391-3600 and leave a message.</p>
<p><strong>March 5:</strong> Boynton Beach Fishing Club meets, 7 p.m. at classroom building next to the boat ramps, Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, 2010 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach. Free. bifc.org.</p>
<p><strong>March 23:</strong> Basic boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the classroom building next to the boat ramps, Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, 2010 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach. Fee $20. Register at the door. Call 704-7440.</p>
<p><strong>March 29-30:</strong> REEF’s Winter Lionfish Derby. Final registration and captains meeting 5:30 p.m., March 29, at REEF headquarters, 98300 Overseas Highway, Key Largo. Lionfish diving March 30. Lionfish will be taken to the docks at Sharkey’s Pub for scoring. Entry fee $120 per team of two to four divers. Call 305-852-0030 or visit reef.org.</p>
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<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960840885,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960840885,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" alt="7960840885?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>Nearly 100-pound kingfish caught off Fort Lauderdale</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>The Happy Day Today crew, including honeymooning couple Mike and Brooke Hayes of Indiana, celebrates the 97.8-pound kingsh that Mike Hayes caught while fishing off Fort Lauderdale Jan. 20. Toasting with the couple are Capt. J.B. Sirgany, in yellow coveralls, and mate Troy McDonald. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>Nearly 100-pound kingfish caught off Fort Lauderdale</strong></p>
<p>Mike and Brooke Hayes were visiting Fort Lauderdale during their honeymoon in January when they decided to take a half-day fishing trip aboard the Happy Day Today charter boat.</p>
<p>Fishing with Capt. J.B. Sirgany and mate Troy McDonald, Mike Hayes caught a kingfish so big it could have broken a 20-year-old world record — if it had been caught on different tackle.</p>
<p>Jack Vitek, chief of staff for the International Game Fish Association, which verifies world records, said the IGFA would not consider the kingfish for world-record status because IGFA rules prohibit the use of treble hooks when fishing with live bait.</p>
<p>The owner of the charter boat, Capt. Thomas Zsak, said Mike Hayes caught the kingfish using 30-pound-test tackle after it hit a small, live “bullet” bonito.</p>
<p>The Happy Day Today crew was fishing a drop-off along the coast of Fort Lauderdale. Mike Hayes fought the fish for an hour and 53 minutes.</p>
<p>The kingfish weighed 97.8 pounds. It measured 67 inches to the fork of the tail and had a girth of 31.75 inches.</p>
<p>The all-tackle world record for king mackerel, better known as kingfish, is 93 pounds. Steve Graulau caught that kingfish in April 1999 off San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Florida record kingfish — 90 pounds — was caught in 1976 by Norton Thomton off Key West. <br /> <br /> <strong>Tip of the month</strong></p>
<p>Want to fish spring tournaments for kingfish, dolphin and wahoo? If so, start planning. The KDW tournament season kicks off April 6 with the Boynton Beach Firefighters Fishing Tournament and Firehouse Chili Cookoff. (Visit boyntonbeachfirefighters.com). The Lantana Fishing Derby is set for May 4. (Visit lantanafishingderby.com). Discounts apply for early entry.</p>
<p><em>Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Reach him at tiowillie@bellsouth.net.</em></p></div>Along the Coast: As red tide concerns continue, dead reef fish found washed ashorehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-dead-reef-fish-are-found-on-area-beaches2018-10-03T19:30:00.000Z2018-10-03T19:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960821466,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960821466,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="7960821466?profile=original" /></a><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1537739795220_1096030">Dozens of reef fish washed up dead on the beach Oct. 3 just south of the Boynton Inlet as the red tide effects continue to be felt along the coast of Palm Beach County. <strong>Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong><br /></span></em></p>
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<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">By Cheryl Blackerby</font></strong></div>
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<div style="line-height:normal;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8100"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8099"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8098" size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Palm Beach County officials took a second round of water samples as the rare red tide continued to occur on beaches in Palm Beach County and fish kills were discovered the morning of Oct. 3 in Boynton Inlet.</font></span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;min-height:16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8097"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br /></font></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8066"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8065"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8064" size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Water samples were taken that same day from 13 sites in the county from Martin County to Boca Raton. The results of those tests will be released Friday, Oct. 5 said Michael Stahl, deputy director of Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management, the agency that took the water samples in partnership with the Loxahatchee River District. </font></span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;min-height:16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8104"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br /></font></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8107"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8106"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8105" size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">The samples were sent Wednesday night to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for analysis. Martin and Broward counties are also sending water samples to the FWC.</font></span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;min-height:16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8108"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br /></font></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8109"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8111"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8110" size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">“Until we get those samples returned to us we don’t really know what is happening with the red tide. Friday we will have a little better idea,” Stahl said Oct.3. “It is really an evolving issue for us. We just learned about the fish kills this morning. So as we continue to monitor the situation we will have a little better understanding whether it is something that is continuing to develop or if this is starting to abate a little bit. This is a rare event on the East Coast.”</font></span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;min-height:16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8112"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br /></font></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8115"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8114"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8113" size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Fish including parrot fish, snapper and smaller bait fish have washed up north of Boynton Inlet and at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park. </font></span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;min-height:16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8116"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br /></font></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8120"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8119"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8118" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8117" size="4">Anyone who has seen dead fish washing up on beaches</font> <font size="4">should report the location to the FWC Fish Kill Hotline at 800-636-0511.</font></font></span></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;min-height:16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8121"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br /></font></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8124"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8123"><font id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1538607351618_8122" size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">“At this stage, we’re going to keep the beaches closed, except Gulfstream Park, Ocean Reef Park, Phil Foster Park and Peanut Island. Those beaches are not getting reports of irritation,” he said. </font></span></div>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960821898,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960821898,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="521" alt="7960821898?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Capt. Robert Wagner who has been with Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue for 26 years, says this is as bad as he has ever experienced on this coast. He was installing red-tide warning signs on Oct.3.</em></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960822090,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960822090,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="451" alt="7960822090?profile=original" /></a></p>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1537739795220_1096029" style="text-align:center;"><em>Palm Beach County lifeguards at Ocean Inlet Park south of Boynton Inlet were wearing simple masks to help them with airborne irritants related to red tide. They were flying a yellow caution flag and discouraging swimmers and surfers from going into the water. </em></div>
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<div style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></div>
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<p></p></div>Boca Raton: City OKs historic home’s use as restauranthttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-city-oks2016-11-30T16:00:00.000Z2016-11-30T16:00:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960678867,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960678867,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960678867?profile=original" /></a><em>A bungalow built in the ‘20s will become Luff’s Fish House Restaurant,</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>which is expected to open in about a year.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Rendering provided</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Sallie James<br /> <br /></strong> A historic 1920s bungalow tucked in the heart of downtown Boca Raton will be transformed into a rustic fish restaurant under a plan approved by the Community Redevelopment Agency.<br /> Luff’s Fish House Restaurant, at 390 E. Palmetto Park Road, is expected to open in about a year, said architect Derek Vander Ploeg. The structure, which has a coral rock chimney, will need to be remodeled and updated to accommodate the eatery, he said.<br /> “In its day it was a very significant house, given it was built around 1927,” Vander Ploeg said. “In order to preserve the character, we will preserve the outside skin. It will get new windows and new doors. It needs some tender loving care.”<br /> The CRA unanimously voted to change the 2,717-square-foot structure’s designated use from retail to restaurant during its Oct. 24 meeting. Members said they weren’t concerned that the bungalow did not fully meet existing parking requirements, driveway design, and parking aisle width, saying it was more important to preserve the historic building. <br /> “I wasn’t concerned about any of the building’s shortcomings,” said CRA member Mike Mullaugh. “We could have fewer parking spaces here because of the unique circumstances of this restaurant.”<br /> Said Vander Ploeg: “The code really says you need to be able to prove you tried to conform as much as possible.”<br /> Boca Raton pioneers Theodore and Harriet Luff, who moved to the city in the 1920s from East Orange, N.J., built the house, said Mary Csar, executive director of the Boca Raton Historical Society. <br /> In its day, the house was quite a standout, she noted. The bungalow style, with coral rock on the porches and chimney, was once very common, but no more. The house is considered an “exceedingly rare survivor” and is unique in Boca Raton, Csar told the CRA members. <br /> She called the restaurant use a “perfect adaptation” for a building that will be a “wonderful asset” for the downtown. “We believe having a restaurant in the Luff house is a wonderful use of this historic treasure — a truly unique setting on much-developed Palmetto Park Road,” Csar said. “It also is a great way to tell Boca Raton’s story to our new residents.”<br /> Over the years, the structure housed many retail businesses, and was the first office of the Historical Society, Csar noted. <br /> Investments Ltd. restaurateur Arturo Gismondi owns the property. He also is the owner of Trattoria Romana at 499 E. Palmetto Park Road and La Nouvelle Maison at 455 E. Palmetto Park Road. He entered into a long-term lease to operate Luff’s Fish House, Vander Ploeg said.</p></div>Along the Coast: Shrinking habitats bring foxes to coastal townshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-shrinking-habitats-bring-foxes-to-coastal-towns2015-07-29T16:30:00.000Z2015-07-29T16:30:00.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960589279,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960589279,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="241" alt="7960589279?profile=original" /></a><em>This gray fox is a frequent visitor to Briny Breezes.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Photo courtesy Marcela Viglianchino</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Cheryl Blackerby</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> In early morning, a gray fox peeked out of dense foliage by the Little Club golf course in Gulf Stream and trotted with its distinctive bounce across the grass, its ears straight up and alert. <br /> “Look, a red fox!” exclaimed a birdwatcher looking for birds, not foxes.<br /> The little fox was actually a gray fox with red fur on its ears, neck and sides. It quickly disappeared into the bushes.<br /> Gray foxes are native Floridians that usually hide in dry forests. But as their inland natural habitats succumb to development, they are being driven into coastal communities. <br /> If there are increased sightings, it probably means construction has run them out of woodlands.<br /> “Unfortunately, their natural areas are getting bulldozed and construction is pushing animals out. They’re losing habitat,” says Ricardo Zambrano, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regional biologist. “And we’ve lost a lot of large predators such as bobcats, panthers and coyotes that prey on foxes.”<br /> Urban dwellers tend to love them or hate them. But Florida wildlife experts say there’s a lot to love and admire about the foxes, particularly their choice of food — mostly rats and mice. <br /> “People should rejoice when they see foxes because they keep the rodent population down,” says Sherry Schlueter, executive director of the South Florida Wildlife Center, which handles wildlife rescue and nuisance calls in Palm Beach and Broward counties. “Gray foxes are highly beneficial in our ecosystem.”<br /> Mice in the dunes on the beach and rats along the Intracoastal are bringing foxes to the coast. “And where there are people, there are rodents,” says Zambrano.<br /> That foxes eat dogs and cats is strictly urban myth. <br /> “I’ve never heard of a fox attacking a dog or cat,” says Zambrano.<br /> In fact, the reverse is true. Dogs and cats left outside often attack foxes and kill fox pups.<br /> Gray foxes and raccoons do prey on turtle nests and cause the loss of 5 to 7 percent of the nests in Boca Raton. They are the predominant mammalian predators of sea turtle nests, eating the eggs and killing hatchlings, says Kirt Rusenko, marine conservationist at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.<br /> “The worst thing people can do is feed the foxes as that increases their population and puts tremendous pressure on the nests in the area. South of the [Boca] inlet this year is our hot-spot so we are pretty sure someone in one of the condos there is feeding the foxes,” Rusenko says.<br /> But the center can keep turtle nests safe with pepper, he says. “Our use of habanero pepper powder on the nests deters them quite well. In really bad areas like south of the inlet we [also] screen the nests with a 4 by 4-foot wire mesh in an attempt to keep the foxes out of the nest.”<br /> Schlueter says raccoons, not foxes, are more commonly the culprit for eating turtle eggs on South Florida beaches. <br /> Like other Florida mammals, foxes can get rabies, but this has not been a problem in Florida, says Zambrano.<br /> Foxes rarely carry rabies, but can get distemper, which is not harmful to people. And the disease is generally not given to domestic animals because most pets get distemper vaccinations. <br /> Nuisance calls about foxes usually are from people who are frightened by wildlife or, more commonly, homeowners who have found fox pups.<br /> “We have already taken in 38 foxes this year, and 23 were babies,” says Schlueter. That’s a tiny percentage of the 12,000 injured, orphaned, or imperiled animals the South Florida Wildlife Center takes in annually. The center is one of the largest wildlife hospitals, trauma centers and rehabilitation facilities in the nation.<br /> “What often happens is that people mow their lawns and scare off the mother fox, and they find the babies and bring them in,” says Schlueter. She advises homeowners to observe the fox den from a distance to see if the mother returns before they remove the pups.<br /> Foxes also eat fruit on the ground — another service to humans — but generally don’t eat vegetables in a garden. <br /> And they don’t usually eat garbage, says Schlueter.<br /> “Foxes get unfairly blamed sometimes for overturned trash cans. Remember, these are tiny creatures. In all likelihood, trash cans are overturned by dogs,” she says.<br /> The dainty fox weighs only 7 to 13 pounds and has a gray coat with red around the ears, face and throat — although there may be red on the sides, which leads people to believe they are red foxes. There are no native red foxes in Florida, although there are a few red foxes on Florida’s Panhandle that are descendants of red foxes released on fox hunts.<br /> Foxes are shy and nocturnal. If you see a fox in the daytime, it is almost certainly a mother fox foraging for food for babies, says Schlueter.<br /> She warns people not to feed them or any wildlife. “There’s plenty of food for them in sunny Florida,” she says.<br /> Foxes should be appreciated, not feared, say the experts. <br /> “They are adorable, really endearing animals,” says Schlueter.<br /> And here’s a fun fox fact: They are the only member of the dog family that climbs trees.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><br /> <em> If you find an injured or sick fox or other wildlife, contact South Florida Wildlife Center at 954-524-4302 or 866-SOS-WILD.</em></p></div>It came from the deep, maybe; washed ashore in Delray, definitelyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/it-came-from-the-deep-maybe-washed-ashore-in-delray-definitely2012-02-01T21:18:05.000Z2012-02-01T21:18:05.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960369682,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960369682,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="270" alt="7960369682?profile=original" /></a>By Antigone Barton</strong><br /> <br /> The beach changes every day. The routine of Delray Beach residents Carolyn Hoffman and her husband does not. <br /> The Tennessee transplants walk the Delray shoreline at low tide, scanning the sand for trash and treasures. <br />They have found, Hoffman says, “a fancy high heel, without the shoe, lots of solo sandals (all sizes and colors), a few bikini tops, an unusual-shaped glass bottle with Japanese characters imprinted on it, way too many helium balloon remains, and of course hundreds of the small plastic hook/tackle bags from fishermen.” <br />They put the trash in plastic bags to carry off the beach. The treasures, well, it depends. The 8-inch perfect nautilus shell came home with her. And the roughly 7-foot-long, flat-bodied, long-snouted sea creature, that looked up at Hoffman with one bulging eye, from the surf just north of Atlantic Avenue in early January? Well, they settled for photos.<br /> Hoffman, a retired elementary schoolteacher, saw it first and called her husband, Harry Furrevig, a retired pilot and current fisherman, to have a look. <br /> “It was a very interesting creature,” she said. He had never seen anything like it. She “let” him hold it for the photos she took.<br /> “It didn’t smell at all,” she said. <br />Aside from being no longer among the living, and a 2-inch slash in its side, it was in good shape — no other creature had taken a bite out of it, from what they could see.<br /> They showed the photos to the lifeguard at Atlantic Avenue who also had never seen anything like it. <br />They sent the photos to the kids, who “Facebooked it,” Hoffman said, and came back with the probability that it was an oarfish — a deepwater fish that can grown to more than 50 feet long.<br /> That didn’t stop one news station that picked up the story of their find from conjecturing that it was the “Loch Ness monster,” a friend told Hoffman.<br /> It remains the couple’s most unusual find, but they continue to stroll the shoreline daily, with appreciative eyes for more mundane treasures. Furrevig is in the midst of collecting enough olive shells to give each of about 100 guests at an upcoming family wedding.<br /> The nautilus shell — so flawless, Hoffman half expected to see a label saying where it was made when she turned it over — smashed to pieces one day, when the wind blew it off the shelf she kept it on.<br /> “I wish I had taken a picture of that,” she said. “At least of the pieces.” </p></div>Reef predator is exotic, spiny and ediblehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/reef-predator-is-exotic-spiny2010-09-30T14:30:00.000Z2010-09-30T14:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">By Jan Norris</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">The pest from the Pacific Ocean called a lion fish could soon be called dinner.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Scott Hardin, exotic species coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said marketing the predator that’s attacking native fish on South Florida reefs as an edible seafood is entirely plausible.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">“I really don’t know what it tastes like — I’ve never eaten them — but yes, they’re edible. Plenty of people have. It’s actually part of the management strategy used in the (Caribbean) islands,” he said.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">The lion fish, one of a number of fishes in the <i>Scorpaenidae</i> family, is now a concern on reefs off Palm Beach County. A nonnative species introduced largely by saltwater aquarium owners, the fish has no natural predators here, Hardin said. Environment watchers are afraid the fish may take over natural habitats and decimate reef fish populations if left to multiply,<br />
so fisheries staff members are training others — divers and anglers — to catch<br />
and destroy any lion fish they find.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Compounding the problem is that the fish is venomous — its long spines give those who touch it a sharp sting, similar to that of a severe jellyfish sting, Hardin said. “In most cases, it’s not fatally venomous. You don’t want to get stung by them, or spined as it were.”</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Anglers and divers, groups that the FFWCC are working with to catch the fish, must be taught how to handle them safely; this may deter their being sold as a food fish in seafood departments anytime soon.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Beachgoers have little to worry about however, Hardin said. “They’re saltwater animals. We know they’ve gotten to near-shore waters — they can hang around bridge pilings and rubble around them — but typically they’re on the offshore reefs.”</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Nobody has a clue as to the current population, but the growing number is troubling. “We’ve got something that can eat a lot of stuff. They’re indiscriminate about eating reef fishes,” Hardin said. “They reproduce after two years, then can reproduce many times a year, constantly pulsing out eggs in their unique reproduction method.”</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">There’s hope they may become dinner for other reef fish, though. “A couple have turned up in some Goliath groupers, and a lot of folks think those fish will eat them,” he said.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;">Hardin finds this new intruder an educational challenge. “All our other exotic predators have been on land or [in] freshwater. This is really the first marine animal we’ve dealt with, and we have yet to talk to a lion fish expert. They don’t have any natural enemies on this side of the world, so not that much is known about them. We’ll be learning as we go.”</span></p></div>